Volunteer Fireman Have Excellent Record

A small tightly knit organization in this community deserves wast amount of consideration and public grratefulness for its community service

Its members receive little recongnition, little pay, and yet this group stands constantly ready, actually on 24-hour call to protect the homes of the community and to serve in practically all emergencies.

Neither is its work limited to the town of Culver, for the record shows that it serves a wide area.

The training of this group, their logalty and espit, their care and use of modern equipment is mone generally recognized outside of the community than it is in.

The group works efficiently as a team and they take pride in their achievements which is no small matter, if one check the record.

The organization we refer to is the Culver Volunteer Fire Company

Fourteen men make up the fire fighting unit. The requirements on the membership is rigid and the discipline within the companu si strict and sometimes rough.

Rach man is subject to call at anytine during the day and night to hurriedly report to the Town Hall fire station at the beconing and sometime ominous urgency of the fire siren atop the water tower.

The call may be a small grass fire three miles fro town. It may be to resue and revie persons near or about the lake. It may be to save a home, or it may be to the scene of a tradgedy in a neighboring community.

While there is a lot of the romantic tradition and excitement connected with fire fighting there is also a lot of hard work, the necessity for keeping in condition, of being alert, and in knowing what to do at the right time.

The Culver fire fighters well fulfill these qualifciations and more too.

Under the direction of Fire Chief Dave Burns, who has established something of a records in being named Chief for ten consecutive years, the Culver unit meet regularly every two weeks for training and study. In between time come special assignments in keeping the equipment in top shape.

SHould a member miss a meeting he is fine. He is also fines if he misses a fire call without an air tight excuse and and there are a number of other misdemeanors for owhich he can be fined.

He must practice to no end the principles of carryin out rescue, first aid, resusitation and fir ighting. For this he will recieve approximately $40 per year.

Mont Foss, secretary-treasurer of the Culver Volunteer unit has been a member of the company for nearly fiifty years. Mont remembers whern the first local unit was organized at a meeting in his father's harness shop on February 3, 1903. He remembers the Ferrie Lumber Yard fire, which resulted in the biggest damafe of any fir recorded in local annals.

He and other old timers also recall the burning of the Calvary stables at the Academy, the old Hanger building fire of 1938 and scores of others.

In addition to Burns and Foss, the twelve other members are Oscar Booker, assistant chief; Captain Art FIshburn; Perchis Blanchard; Don Mikesell; Henry HInkle; Herlin Stafford; Harry Edington; Bill Wagoner; Frank Haywood; Don Milner; Irwin Hatten; and DOnovan Overmyer.

Fishburn has been a member of the company since 1907; Blanchard since 1910; and Burns since 1932.

The group utilizes three trucks: a Bean high pressure trick; a Ford General truck; and a Ford Howe pumper. The trucks are fully equipped. Other equipment readied for instant use incluudes a Emerson Resusitator, two Scott air packs, grappling hooks,2200 feet of hose; ladders, stretchers, fire extinigushers, first aid kits, and other equipment.

The only thin urgently needed now is a tanker truck, on which is capable of supplying 1,000 gallons of water.

Next year the Culver Volunteer fire company will celebrate a golden anniversary birthday. During the past forty-nine years this organization has rendered yeon service to the community.

And for their hard work and protection through the years the community is deeply grateful, even though firemen may sometimes think their service is not too well regarded

Continue to keep your standards high, you record of achievement signigicantly tells better than words can, our appreciation.